Prayer For Being Filled | Colossians 1:1-14
Sermon Discussion | Prayer For Being Filled Colossians 1:1-14
The apostle Paul begins his letter to the church at Colosse, the same way he begins all of his letters with a greeting and a statement that he is and always is praying for these brothers and sisters. We learn that Paul prays upwards of three hours a day that includes prayer for this small church. The amazing thing is that Paul has never been to the church, he has only heard about them. Who are the people that you regularly pray for? are they only people that you know? How often do you remind yourself that the gospel is bearing fruit all over the world, not just in your own life and in your local church body?Why is this important to remember?
I love you, I am for you and I am proud of you. These are things that we would affirm and say to our children. But these are also true for how God feels about us. If we live our lives with a full understanding of this truth, how does that change us? Why is it important for us as followers of Jesus to live with full faith that this is how God feels about us?
If you drop seeds in the dirt, there is no guarantee a tree will grow. But if you never drop seeds, there is a guarantee that no tree will ever grow. So Paul challenged us with a question- Did you do anything in your week that God would say is good? What fruit is showing up in your life? How are you being intentional with your life to be a display case for Jesus?
God has given us a measure of faith by His grace and the question was presented of "How do you know you have real faith?" The answer is that your faith becomes love. We are reminded that if we are His, then we should look like Him. Do you look like Jesus in your love for others? How? Encourage the group with a story or example of a time where you saw your faith move you to love.
Verse 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. This is the gospel, read aloud together and share how this verse encourages you. What words stand out to you in the verse?